BBC SPORT | Football | Beckham agrees to LA Galaxy move Beckham agrees to LA Galaxy move Beckham will leave Real Madrid after four seasons David Beckham will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy at the end of the season. The 31-year-old former England captain will sign a five-year deal, reportedly worth ï¿½128m. Beckham said: "This week Real asked me to make a decision regarding their offer to extend my contract. "After considering several options to stay in Madrid or join other major British and European teams, I have decided to join LA Galaxy." Interview: Former England striker Gary Lineker The ï¿½128m deal is understood to comprise his salary, existing sponsorship contracts, merchandising shirt sales and a share of the club profits. In a statement, Beckham continued: "I would like to thank the supporters and people of Madrid who have made my family and I feel so welcome in my time here, making this an extremely difficult decision to make. I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football David Beckham "I have enjoyed my time in Spain enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans.

"I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own. "For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100% to my coach, team-mates and fans as I believe manager Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve." LA Galaxy general general manager Alexei Lalas believes Beckham's arrival will give worldwide exposure to the high standard of football in America. He told BBC Five Live: "One of the interesting things that I think people are going to see, is first off, the attention he's going to bring to the sport and to American soccer. "People are going to see the quality that exists over here, and I fully recognise that many people over in England don't have a grasp of what's going on with major league soccer on or off the field. "But the fact is that we have competitive teams, competitive individual players and a very good and growing league.

It's not that we can't get better and I would put our teams up against some Premiership teams in a second" Real Madrid confirmed Beckham's departure in a statement, saying: "Both parties have agreed that Beckham will not extend his current contract, which ends on 30 June 2007." Beckham left Manchester United in July 2003 to sign for Real, who paid ï¿½25m for the midfielder's services. However, in the three-and-a-half seasons since his arrival, the Spanish giants have failed to win any major trophies. This season has proved particularly disappointing for Beckham, who was dropped by England coach Steve McClaren and then fell out of favour with Real boss Capello. How the BBC Sport website broke the news in November LA Galaxy admitted their interest in signing Beckham in November, when general manager Alexi Lalas told the BBC Sport website of his admiration for the former England captain. In an exclusive interview, Lalas said: "The Los Angeles Galaxy are looked upon as the jewel of Major League Soccer. "We play in the best stadium, we have had incredible success over the history of the league, we have had great individual players and great teams. There's a tradition of excellence.

"All of this leads to this race to become the first MLS super club, if you will." 606: DEBATE David Beckham and The USA David Beckham and The USA Created on May 18, 2013 4:37 PM EST Share this page How can I not write an article about David Beckham's retirement? It's a damn shame DB23 is retiring. The man was class! A Soccer icon. A super good human being and overall awesome guy. It actually makes me feel old now that he's retired. And sad. There were always better players than Beckham and there will be better players than Beckham in the future. But I don't think any one will come as close at being an absolute “name” than DB23. In America especially. You could talk to someone who had no interest (or knowledge) in the beautiful game what so ever and that person would know David Beckham. Let's be honest, a lot of people got into soccer because of David Beckham. I've asked a lot of Man Uinted fans when they became fanatical about the team and almost always it was around the same time Beckham was wearing the #7 for the Red Devils.

Believe me, I never once saw any one wear a #6 replica jersey in 2000. I guess having Jaap Stam's surname on your back didn't have the same appeal as the most talked about and most popular player in the world. Man United sells about 1.4 million jerseys a season and at one point one out of every three jerseys sold in the world were United jerseys. In America, across MLS franchises, fans held up signs with “Beckham give me your jersey” written on it. Something I hadn't seen ever. Beckham also did something in America that Pele failed to do. He popularized and solidified soccer in America. Nancy Lamour of The Associate Press wrote “Ask someone in Asia or Europe a decade ago what they knew about the Galaxy and odds are the answer would have been limited to planets and stars.” I don't disagree. In fact I would also add that if you asked someone in a franchise city about top tier soccer in America 10 years ago that they probably wouldn't have know they had a team. Just last year, Torsten Frings stood in a subway in (soccer mad) Toronto with a sign and soccer ball...and no one really bothered him.

Don't giggle too much, back when Lothar Matthaus signed for the MetroStars, the New York team had a press conference in Times Square. Folks lined up to take a photo with the German legend and almost comically when a reporter asked a fan who he was taking a photo next to...the fans replied “I don't know.” We've come a long way! David Beckham's arrival to American soccer was the most important event in domestic US soccer history. The world's most recognizable man, notice I said man...not just soccer player, came to ply his trade in a league looking to show the world just how good of a league MLS was. Of course, big names attract big names. Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry showed up. Which was fun. Hapless managers tried to fill their rosters with (less than stellar) names that didn't quite work out because they saw DB23's impact on the game. Freddie Ljundberg showed up for Seattle Sounders with fans hailing him as the younger better faster stronger David Beckham. He was an underwear model and women thought he was cute.

Alexi Lalas said of Ljundberg “ For me he's the best DP signing, because of the way he plays in MLS.” He was so good that Sounders traded him to Chicago Fire. Freddy's impact to the American game was a bit better than Ade Akinbiyi in a Houston Dynamo jersey. To this day I honestly believe that some bigwig believed that getting an Englishman on the squad would somehow improve the teams chances of winning and filling up stadiums- Any Englishman. Fourteen matches and zero goals later, Akinbiyi was shown the door. But at least he wasn't a Designated Player. Which is another thing that DB23 can be credited for. Because of the the David Beckham rule, suddenly you could make some money in American soccer. Chris Wondolowski now gets DP money because of DB23. You can start from the bottom and work you're way up to the highest ranks now. Claudia Reyna ended his career with a giant payday because of the DP rule. With Beckham there was interest in soccer. Mainstream sports people were talking about soccer in America like it was a new thing.

In 2005, I started my podcast and there were a handful of folks doing what I was doing. In 2007, it seemed like everyone was talking about MLS on a podcast and suddenly more bloggists popped up to talk about the beautiful game. If you wanted to sell articles or get a lot of hits on your blog you would talk about David Beckham. If you wanted some notoriety you would slag off David Beckham. Not just in the sports world. I remember Lindsay Lohan saying that she made a bet that she would shag DB23 and that made news. I don't think anyone ever said that about Darren Huckerby or Istvan Urbanyi. Appearances by Beckham on TV just added more fuel to the fire. DB23 represented MLS and American soccer, so if TMZ reported on him surfing with his kids or if there was a second or two of screen time of him at Wimbledon, then that was more exposure for MLS. Also...if you wanted to make a name for yourself as a soccer player you would some how get involved with David Beckham.

Mike Magee said “The way that this league has turned around in the last six years since he got here is black and white and it's fair to say that it is 100 percent because of him.” Magee is a player that has benefited from Beckham being his teammate. I wonder if Magee would be as good as he is today if he hadn't played for LA Galaxy with Beckham. On the flip side, Jessie Marsch's publeague foul against Beckham in the Superclassico comes to mind as a way of getting some TV face time. Before that Thursday match, I don't think too many people outside of mainstream soccer knew who Marsch was. Good match though! DB23 also made ticket sales easy. Suddenly, when LA were in town, other franchises found it a lot easier to sell out their stadiums. Twice a year, there was money to be made and placed into the bank account. Season ticket sales went up and the crowds were larger on TV, which in turn made American soccer look really good. Games were sold out. People actually rushed out to get season tickets because of DB23.

I've joked for years on my show “No one ever bought season tickets cos Digital Takawira was on the squad.” And I have to believe that extra money came in handy setting up academies and hiring better people. Which in turn made a stronger franchise. And stronger franchises makes for a stronger League. I was there at the first match Beckham played at the Home Depot Center and I was there at his last match. It was a good time to be a fan of MLS. I had been watching since day one and it was finally good to see a player that was a name and that could do something to contribute both on and off the field. DB23 had caused a stir and folks by the water cooler were talking about American Soccer. The World was talking about MLS. I had watched DB23 play against Wimbledon and I watched England vs Greece in 2001. I watched the red card against Argentina and him raising MLS Cup. My listeners from my podcast have said that I was David Beckham's Cheerleader. Fine by me! We wont see a player like him on these shores. It was a pleasure to watch the guy play soccer, inspire kids to work hard and take American Soccer to the next level. Loading ...

Flown From the Nest - David Beckham English Biography Imagine if you will the closing stages of the 1994/95 campaign. John Deehan's managerial future at Carrow Road looks shaky. Injuries to Bryan Gunn and the departures of Mark Robins and Efan Ekoku leave the Canaries in a precarious position at the bottom end of the Premiership. On April 1st, the Canaries travel to Highbury and field a young midfielder whose only first team appearances so far had been in league cup matches. The young debutant scores a stunning freekick to give Norwich the lead, and adds another audacious lob over David Seaman to put Norwich 2-0 up. Although Arsenal pull back into the game, Jamie Cureton's late winner gives Norwich all 3 points. The midfielder retains his place for the trips to Leicester and Newcastle, which result in a 1-1 draw and 3-1 defeat, with him assisting in both Norwich goals. At home to Nottingham Forest, the confidence of this young man spreads throughout the team and they secure victory. A draw at White Hart Lane and against Liverpool at Carrow Road secure their Premiership status. Norwich aren't relegated but the financial side of the club looks fragile.

The sale of this young player to Manchester United for ï¿½5million means that no vast waves of players are released unnecessarily and the Canaries become mid table regulars in the Premiership occasionally reaching Wembley in the League Cup. Robert Chase, John Deehan and Gary Megson are hailed as heroes across Norfolk for their combination of young talent and experienced Premiership players. Martin O'Neill remains at Wycombe and Leicester drop into Division Two under Mike Walker's stewardship. At the end of the millennium, John Deehan's programme notes state that he is looking forward to taking on the England manager's position and working again with David Beckham who saved the Canaries from relegation in 1995. Maybe a rather fantastic What If scenario but the truth is that it could have happened. When reading Kit Carson's Academy review for 12th February 2000 on the Official Peterborough United website, Kit talked about trying to contact David Beckham who had spent a week with Kit at Norwich City while he was 11 years old (1987) along with a number of schoolboys from Essex. Beckham stood out then, both on and off the ball.

Indeed he had won a Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Award that was presented to him at Old Trafford and had appeared on BBC TV. Beckham's current scout Tony Stephens had also assisted Kit at Carrow Road with presentations. It is too harsh on the Canaries to say that Beckham is another player to slip through their fingers as a player of his talent was attracting all the big clubs from day one. Kit supposedly said 'I would like you to join Norwich City immediately'. David went red and he said, 'I'm really sorry, but I have already signed at Manchester United'." Kit replied "If you ever get a rejection from Manchester United, there is always a place at Norwich City for you." Beckham was born in Leytonstone, East London in May 1975. David represented Essex Schoolboys and in addition to his brief spell at Norwich, he had trials with Leyton Orient and attended Tottenham Hotspurs' school of excellence before signing for Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991.

A member of Manchester United' s successful youth side, alongside the likes of the brothers Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, they won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 with David scoring in the final against Crystal Palace and came second the following year. On October 1st 1992, he made his first team debut in a Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion, coming on as a late substitute. His league debut for United was two and a half years later and was against Leeds on 2nd April 1995. In the intermediate period, he had joined Preston North End on loan and made 5 appearances for them, scoring twice. David established himself in the United first team during the 1995/96 double winning season, filling the void left by Andrei Kanchelskis' transfer to Everton. During this season, he scored the winning goal in the FA Cup semi final against Chelsea and in September 1996, he was called into the England squad and given his debut against Moldova. This added to his existing youth and 9 Under 21 caps.

The 1996/97 season saw him establish himself fully in the Man Utd and England squads and he scored some spectacular goals including the lob over Neil Sullivan from the halfway line in the opening day clash with Wimbledon. He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and came second in the main competition. David became the nation's most reviled player when he was sent off for a petulant kick at Diego Simeone in the World Cup second round clash with Argentina. Even though he had scored the match winner in the tie with Colombia, his sending-off was seen as the sole reason for England's exit from the World Cup. Effigies of him were burnt and hung across the country. Maybe he should have stayed at Carrow Road. He returned to form the following season in which he also became a father to Brooklyn and married Brooklyn's mother Victoria Adams aka Posh Spice. This came at the end of a season in which United won the treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. However he is still considered by many to be rather reckless and his crude challenge against Nexaca's Jose Milian in the World Club Championship earned him another high profile red card.

David has been linked with a move to Arsenal as Posh Spice would prefer him to play closer to their home in Hertfordshire. When Beckham missed training due to baby Brooklyn being unwell, it was reported that Alex Ferguson finally lost his patience with Beckham's show business lifestyle. According to an "exclusive" in the Sunday People on 6th March 2000, Ferguson agreed with the Man Utd board that Beckham would be made available for transfer although not to an English rival. AC Milan were reported as being most likely to sign Beckham, apparently for a British record fee of ï¿½25million. This rumour was later denied by Manchester United. After providing virtually the only impressive display in England's Euro 2000 campaign, David's value shot up. Sport First claimed an exclusive on 25th June 2000 that Barcelona had made a ï¿½45million approach for Becks, possibly as a successor to Luis Figo who was rumoured to be joining Lazio. The following day's media suggested that competition for David's signature might come from Real Madrid who were willing to match this offer.

On 14th July 2000, the British media reported that Silvio Berlusconi, president of AC Milan, wants to tempt the Beckhams to Milan. He hopes that David will be persuaded to join AC Milan by his wife Victoria who would be offered her own television shows on Berlusconi's various television companies. The expected fee for Beckham's signature would be ï¿½40million. This suggestion was dismissed by United chairman Martin Edwards along with the supposed ï¿½30million offer from Inter Milan for Paul Scholes. Berlusconi said "I like David Beckham a lot. I am Milan's biggest supporter and my promise to other supporters is that there will be an important arrival this summer, one of the world's top five players. Milan will do everything to buy a big name, a player that will make the difference. Beckham is one but there are other strong players on the market as well... Beckham is a great player.

When crossing, he is the best in the world." Other players on Milan's list include the likes of Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Fransecso Totti but Beckham is regarded as the player who could be most easily prised away from his club." David's international rehabilitation was completed in November 2000 when he captained England for the friendly defeat against Italy on 15th November. David was one of the most experienced players in caretaker manager Peter Taylor's Under 30 England squad. Although captaining England would be a highlight for David, his poor performances especially in Europe would concern him and manager Alex Ferguson even though they did not deny United a third consecutive title. His poor form did not put off AC Milan who were said to be preparing a ï¿½70million bid for Beckham and his England teammate Michael Owen. The deal would include a TV show for Posh Spice. David was also linked on 17th April 2001 with a swap move for Barcelona's Rivaldo whom Alex Ferguson rates highly.

A horrific tackle by Deportivo La Coruna's Pedro Duscher in their European Champions League Quarter Final clash on 10th April 2002 broke Beck's foot making him doubtful for England's World Cup campaign. The foot is expected to take 8 weeks to heal which would take him past England's first round group matches. He was however included in the England World Cup squad with every expectation of recovery being in place by the time of the first match against Sweden. His will to win and physical fitness carried David through to a starting position in the 1-1 draw with Sweden on 2nd June. He then captained England to a historic 1-0 win over Argentina on 7th June. In February 2003, it appeared that Becks' love affair with United might come to an end. Following their 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal in the FA Cup, manager Alex Ferguson went on a rampage in the dressing room, kicked a football boot that hit Beckham above the left eye causing a cut. Beckham was said to be livid as was his wife Posh. This alerted European giants Inter Milan and Barcelona to enquire about his availability.

In mid March 2003, rumours circulated suggesting that Real Madrid would make a £30million swoop for Beckham to replace Luis Figo. These rumours continued through April and into May with suggestions that a formal bid of £25million plus Cameroon midfielder Geremi (then on loan at Middlesborough and rated at £10m) had been accepted by Old Trafford. By the end of May, it was suggested that Barcelona might be a more likely destination with candidates for Barca's presidency claiming that they would bring Beckham to the Nou Camp. However Roma coach Fabio Capello has urged his president Franco Sensi to bring Beckham to Italy. In June 2003, Man United chief executive Peter Kenyon admitted his club had been in discussion with Barcelona concerning Beckham's future. With this in the public domain, Italian giants AC Milan expressed their interest possibly preceding one of the world's biggest transfer struggle that football has ever seen. In the end, Becks was transferred to Real Madrid for the sum of £25million on June 17th 2003 with the move completed on July 1st following the end of the Spanish season.

Whilst Becks has settled well into the Real line-up, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has reportedly made the England captain his number one target. It's also reported that Beckham won't be renewing the lease on his mansion in Spain and that he would not be enrolling son Brooklyn into a private school there. The midfielder's wife Victoria is said to prefer to remain in England. Beckham hit the headlines in April 2004 when it was alleged that he had affairs with two women. Plenty of other websites will cover these allegations and I refuse to be drawn into such tawdry speculation and possible character assassination. This site is supposedly about football ! However the speculation may have affected Beckahm whose Real Madrid side failed to win the Spanish title. Becks then had a very mediocre Euro 2004 tournament, being almost invisible during many games and then missing a key penalty in the quarter-final against Portugal (He also missed a penalty against France during normal play) In March 2006, based on comments made by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who was admiring Beckham's skills, it seem to suggest that David and family might return to England for a spell in North London.

On May 9th 2006, David, as expected, was named by Sven Goran Eriksson in the England squad for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. Although England did not perform well, they qualified from their group as winners, and faced Ecuador in the second round. Beckham scored the only goal of the game with a stunning second-half free-kick. In the quarter-final with Portugal, Beckham was substituted due to injury before the England side lost on penalities. Following that game, David quit as England captain. On 7th July 2006, it was reported in the Daily Mail that Beckham and his wife had met with Newcastle chairman Freddie Sheppard to discuss a transfer to St James' Park. In August 2006, David was dropped from Steve McLaren's first squad as England manager. Beckham's appearance for Real Madrid in the 4-1 Champions League victory over Steaua Bucharest on 17th October 2006 was his hundredth appearance in the Champions League, making him only the third player to reach that total - the others being teammates Raul and Roberto Carlos.

Beckham was linked by the Sunday Mirror with a move to Tottenham on 12th October 2006 although The People claimed he was returning to Old Trafford. On 7th December 2006, it was reported by The Sun that Inter Milan were willing to offer Beckham complete control of his image rights in order to lure him to Italy. The following week saw Bolton manager Sam Allardyce allegedly saying that he hoped to lure Beckham to Bolton (The Daily Star). On 31st December 2006, the News of the World suggested that 15 clubs were hoping to sign Beckham if his contract at Real Madrid was not renewed. These were Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, the aforementioned Bolton, Athletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan, Blackburn, Tottenham, West Ham, Aston Villa, Seville, AC Milan and American sides LA Galaxy and New York Red Bull. However The People suggested that another club, Liverpool, are set to make a bid for Beckham on the back of the proposed takeover of the Anfield club by Dubai International Capital.

On 10th January 2007, Beckham announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Real Madrid and the following day, he announced that he had signed a five year £128m contract to join Major League Soccer (MLS) side LA Galaxy. Galaxy are managed by former Ipswich defender Frank Yallop and their most recognised stars are Landon Donovan and former Coventry forward Cobi Jones Under-pressure Steve McLaren restored Beckham to the England squad in May 2007 for the friendly against Brazil and the UEFA2008 qualifier against Estonia. McClaren told BBC Sport: "Everyone knows David's attributes and he's a big-game player who can help us win in Estonia... Obviously his form has been excellent at Real Madrid and he can help us win in Estonia. Beyond that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Beckham provided the cross from which John Terry scored England's goal in the 1-1 draw with Brazil on 1st June. In David's final game for Real, he helped them to a 3-1 win over Mallorca which gave the Madrid side the La Liga title - and David's first major Spanish trophy.

He made his debut for the galaxy as a substitute in the July 2007 friendly against Chelsea. Beckham won his 108th international cap in the February 2008 friendly with Spain, tying him with Bobby Moore as England's most capped international player On 2nd October 2008, the Daily Mirror reported that Beckham has been offered a shock return to the Premier League, with Sunderland manager Roy Keane wanting to offer him a six-month loan deal. On 22nd October 2008, it was announced that AC Milan intended to sign Beckham on loan in January 2009 whilst the MLS is in its winter break. Beckham's success in the England national team as a squad player under Fabio Capello had led to speculation that he may return to Europe in order to retain match fitness for the Spring World Cup qualifying matches. He made his Serie A debut for Milan against AS Roma on 11th January 2009. He played 89 minutes in a 2-2 draw. Beckham had a second loan spell at AC Milan from January 2010 and indeed played for AC against Manchester United in a Champions League match.

He tore his Achilles tendon in a match against Chievo in March 2010 and missed the World Cup, returning to action with the LA Galaxy in September 2010 During December 2010 / January 2011, discussion was had of Beckham joining a Premiership team on loan from January to March. Beckham was linked with Spurs and trained with them in early January. In September 2011, he was linked with loan moves to Tottenham, QPR and Paris St Germain. Becks was surpisingly omitted from the Team GB football squad for the London 2012 Olympics. He did however play a key role in the opening ceremony. Beckham ended his time with the LA Galaxy on 2nd December 2012 by winning the MLS Cup for the second time. After training with Arsenal, 37 yeart old Beckham joined French giants Paris St Germain on a five month deal on On 31st January 2013, but announced that he would donate his salary to charity.

"I don't know if this will be my last contract People have been speculating about that for a number of years, but I continue to play and sign contracts. I will see how I feel but I want to play as long as possible. My passion is football. It always has been. When I play football it is not about the biggest contract." said Beckham Beckham retired from playing at the end of the 2012/13 season. He made 10 appearances for Paris St Germain. In October 2013, he was linked with purchasing an MLS franchise in Miami. Beckham is thought to be able to buy the US franchise for a discounted $25m (£15.6m) from MLS. The 38-year-old's option to purchase a franchise is believed to be part of the financial package he negotiated when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007 as a player. Beckham said he was "excited" by the prospect of Miami when he visited Florida in June. He said "Why America? Because when I joined the Galaxy I always said I'm committed to the MLS and I'm committed to growing the sport in that country.

I do think there will be a stage when football will explode and will become one of the sports that will challenge basketball, baseball, American football. I think it's a fun place to play the game. I enjoyed my six years there. Miami is definitely one of the cities I'm excited about and a place they need football." Beckham made a record 115 outfield appearances for England All statistics on this site are accurate as of end of 2011/12 season This page on Flown From The Nest was last updated on and is © Steve Whitlam 1997-2013. This information may only be reproduced if acknowledgement is given to this website and a link provided BBC SPORT | Football | Beckham's American dream Beckham's American dream By Simon Austin The LA Galaxy jersey was Adidas's worldwide best seller in 2007 When David Beckham was unveiled by LA Galaxy in July 2007, he presented himself as a modern-day missionary who would take "soccer" to the American masses. "Some people laughed at me, but this move is not about the money," he insisted after signing a five-year deal estimated to be worth $10m per season.

"The main thing is to improve the standard and be part of history really. I think soccer can be a lot bigger in the US." Less than two years on, the project already appears to be drawing to a close. Beckham will return to Los Angeles in mid-July to play out the remainder of the Major League Soccer season, which finishes in November, and then seems certain to exercise a "break clause" allowing him to leave after three seasons. The 33-year-old's obvious relish at playing for Milan and his eagerness to move permanently to the San Siro have seemed to damn the MLS by implication. So it would be easy to dismiss Beckham's American odyssey as a failure and that's what many will do. But if you talk to people involved in MLS and look at the facts and figures, a different story emerges. The former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol is ideally placed to assess Beckham's influence. The Scot has lived in the States for the past decade and has been head coach of the New England Revolution since 2002. "Beckham's impact here has been absolutely huge," he told BBC Sport. "Soccer was already becoming more popular before he arrived, but he has greatly accelerated the process.

"People who had no interest in the game a couple of years ago now know about it, which is down to David." Helping to get football into the national consciousness has been Beckham's greatest achievement, agrees Professor Andrei Markovits of the University of Michigan. Markovits is the author of the book Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism , which explores why football has never become the phenomenon in America that it has in the rest of the world. "Beckham turned soccer into a household word and you can't monetise that," Markovits told BBC Sport. "He created a buzz that no-one else could have matched, not even Lionel Messi or Kaka. When Beckham arrived, there were big ads of him in his underwear on the sides of the street, Posh had her own TV show, they were friends with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated - the immediate impact was immense. "When you went to the checkout, people were talking about him, when you switched on the TV he was on a talk show and when you opened a tabloid, there he was. It created a big ripple effect." This had an immediate impact on MLS attendances.

When Galaxy travelled to the New York Red Bulls on 18 August 2007, shortly after Beckham had moved over from Real Madrid, a league-record crowd of 66,237 packed into the Giants Stadium to watch a thrilling 5-4 win for the home side. LA Galaxy's average home attendance in 2008 was 26,009, a dramatic 24.9% increase on 2006, while MLS attendances as a whole went up 6.9% during the same period. Beckham's arrival was big news in the US media Eleven of the 13 teams recorded their biggest 2008 gates when Beckham's Galaxy were in town and the former England skipper's appeal was such that fans demanded refunds if he wasn't playing. His impact on television ratings was also significant, with average viewing figures on ESPN increasing by 23% when the midfielder featured. That said, the numbers watching MLS on American television were still extremely modest. An average of 253,000 people watched live matches on ESPN in 2008, which was comparable with the viewing figures for women's basketball.

MLS did start to feature prominently in the daily news agenda while Beckham was in the States though, as Markovits explains. "ESPN's SportsCenter runs a feature with the top 10 plays of the day from US sport. That never used to include soccer," he said, "but since Beckham, soccer goals have become a regular feature." And whereas Nicol was unable to find any information about the English Premier League when he first moved to America, there are now the 24-hour football channels, Gol TV and Fox Soccer, as well as ESPN, newspapers and the internet to keep him abreast of the latest news. Beckham has also been a huge success in sponsorship and marketing terms. In 2007, Galaxy became the only the second side in the history of US team sports, following in the footsteps of their MLS rivals Real Salt Lake, to feature a sponsor's name, Herbalife, on their shirts. It turned into a great deal for both parties, with Galaxy being paid $4.5m to $5m a season, according to the highly reputable SportsBusiness Journal , and the nutrition company gaining exposure around the world thanks to Beckham.

BECKHAM'S IMPACT: KEY STATS ESPN viewing figures 23% higher for games Beckham plays in Galaxy's 2007 revenue accounts for more than a fifth of the MLS total League-record crowd of 66,237 watches Beckham play for LA against New York in August 2007 Galaxy become only the second in the history of US team sports to have a shirt sponsor in 2007 LA Galaxy jersey is Adidas's worldwide best seller in 2007 Beckham played a total of 30 matches for Galaxy, contributing five goals and 12 assists Galaxy finished 11th in 2007 and 12th in 2008 (out of 13 teams) The shirt's manufacturer, Adidas, was also delighted, as the Galaxy jersey became its worldwide best seller in 2007. Galaxy capitalised on the interest in Beckham by immediately increasing ticket prices from $21.50 to $32, which helped their revenue for the 2007 season increase to $7,436,529. That accounted for an impressive 21% of the entire league's revenue.

The ironic thing is that Galaxy's form on the pitch during Beckham's tenure was little short of abysmal. After arriving from Real Madrid halfway through the 2007 season, he played just five times because of a persistent ankle injury and Galaxy finished 11th in the 13-team league. The midfielder managed 25 appearances in 2008, scoring five goals and supplying 10 assists, but could not prevent Galaxy finishing joint bottom of the league, ahead of San Jose only on goal difference. The biggest problem was that, aside from Beckham and Landon Donovan, the standard of the rest of the squad was fairly poor. This was hardly surprising when Beckham's $5.5m basic salary and the $900,000 paid to Donovan accounted for a big chunk of Galaxy's salary cap, meaning that several members of the squad were earning only $12,900 per season. It does make you wonder what Beckham's impact would have been had the team actually been successful. The big question now is whether the momentum generated can be sustained once he is gone.

After all, attendances and television figures had already dropped off slightly in 2008 following the sharp spike seen in 2007. MLS will survive without Beckham - Gazidis And sponsors are unlikely to take a favourable view of the midfielder's departure. Herbalife, for example, have a clause in their contract with Galaxy requiring the team to have an "international star" on its roster, according to the Sports Business Journal. Yet Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insists MLS will continue to grow in the absence of Beckham. "When the story of MLS is written, David will be a chapter, not the whole book," Gazidis, who was pivotal in bringing Beckham to MLS in his previous role as deputy commissioner of the MLS, told BBC Sport. "The signing was a symptom of the success of the league rather than the cause. If we look at our new team in Seattle, who enter the league this year, they are the first side in the history of MLS to sell more than 20,000 season tickets. That is incredible and it's not down to David.

"MLS still has a terrific business plan built on slow and steady growth and continuing to take steps forward, year after year." Gazidis cites the recent World Cup qualifier between the US and Mexico, which attracted a record audience on Spanish-language TV in the States, peaking at 10.7m, as further evidence that football is becoming part of mainstream culture. 606: DEBATE Was Beckham a good servant to football in the US? BBC Sport's Simon Austin "By 2050, one in four Americans will be Hispanic, and they have soccer in their blood," the 44-year-old, who was with MLS for 14 years, said. "The young kids playing the game today are able to watch on television, read about it on the internet. "That wasn't the case even five years ago, when their only interaction with the game was to play with their 10 or 11-year-old friends at the weekend in a very regulated environment. "Do I believe soccer can go up to another level? Absolutely." Despite all this, there is still a palpable sense of regret when you talk to some football followers in the US about Beckham's decision to turn his back on them.

Markovits admits that when he looks back on the episode now, he sees a missed opportunity. "If Beckham had stayed for the full five years, playing for the Galaxy and England, he could have gone down as a major pioneer of the game in the US. This is what he promised in that first press conference. "I absolutely thought he would have attracted other top players, but he didn't give it a chance, he threw in the towel. "I hope another team can bring a world superstar to the States, but whoever they get, they won't be able to match Beckham." Bookmark with: Beckham outlines reasons for move - CNN.com Beckham outlines reasons for move Adjust font size: MADRID, Spain -- Former England captain David Beckham says he is joining the Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid at the end of the season for "football" not stardom. Speaking to his new employers, team-mates and the world's media via satellite link from Madrid, Beckham, 31, revealed: "I'm coming here to play football. "I'm not coming to the States to make soccer the biggest sport in America but I do think soccer has a huge, huge potential. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe in this project.

This could create something that we've all never seen before. "I'm not coming to be a superstar," Beckham added. "I'm coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. "This team has a lot of potential and the thought of being part of it really excites me." Beckham, and wife Victoria, can already boast some of hollywood's biggest names among their circle of friends -- and the midfielder admitted he had already sought the advise of an A-lister before agreeing the move. "I was on the phone to Tom Cruise for about an hour last night and an hour the night before. Obviously I asked him for his advice because he is a very wise man and a very good friend of mine. It's going to be a big help for us to have friends when we arrive in Los Angeles." Those who orchestrated the deal are convinced Beckham will not only raise the sport's profile in America but help the Galaxy win the Major League Soccer (MLS) title. "David is still a very good player," said Tim Leiweke of AEG, the sports and entertainment company that runs the Galaxy. "Peyton Manning in American football, Allen Iverson in basketball and Tiger Woods in golf are all the same age as Beckham.

"Certainly, he will bring an audience, a fan base and an intensity to our sport that we've never had." The Galaxy did not say exactly what they'll pay him, but floated a figure of $250 million in salary and commercial endorsements over the length of his contract. Those figures would make Beckham the second-highest paid sporting figure in the world behind Woods. Beckham decided to turn down a extended two-year deal with Real Madrid after limited first team appearances under new coach Fabio Capello this season. Ironically, with his departure making headlines around the world, Beckham is set to be given a rare start by Real on Sunday. Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez is out for the next week after twisting an ankle early in the 2-0 loss to Deportivo La Coruna last Sunday and Beckham is the midfielder's natural replacement for a match against Real Zaragoza. Real have lost three of their last four games Primera Liga games to fall five points behind leaders Sevilla and arch-rivals Barcelona. Ferguson reaction Beckham's former manager at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, said on Friday that his move had come as no surprise to him. "I anticipated that," said Ferguson. "I expected him to go to America.

We wish him well. It's a big career change to go from playing for Real Madrid to playing in America. "I don't think there was any chance of him coming back to England having played for us. I think deep down he was always a United fan and I don't think there was any chance of him coming back to another English club." Beckham, who joined Real from Manchester United in June 2003, is the most famous player to sign up for the MLS since it began in 1996. He is also the biggest name player to move to club soccer in the U.S. since the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff played in the long-defunct North American Soccer League in the 1970s and early eighties. Having been first choice in the Real Madrid starting line-up since he moved to Spain, Beckham lost his place following the arrival of Capello. The Galaxy had made public their interest in Beckham who runs a football academy that shares its home with the team and who has close links to the Anschutz Entertainment Group who own the club.

"David Beckham coming to MLS might be viewed by some as one of the most important moments for soccer in this country and perhaps the history of professional sport," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. "David transcends the sport and is a cultural icon. David is clearly one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. People are going to feel really good about David Beckham spending the rest of his career in the U.S." Beckham said he was now inspired by the challenge of cracking the American soccer market. "I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own. But he insisted he would be giving his all for Real Madrid until the end of the season to try and win the major trophy that has eluded him since he joined the club in 2003.

"For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100 percent to my coach, team mates and fans and I believe Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve." Off the field, Beckham's profile and commercial appeal shows no sign of waning, but on the pitch the past year has seen him suffer a series of disappointments, culminating in England's exit to Portugal in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Beckham announced he was standing down as England captain after the defeat and has been left out of recent squads by new manager Steve McClaren. It is a far cry from his glory days at Manchester United where he won four English Premier League titles and the Champions League as they memorably won the treble in 1999. But his relationship with manager Ferguson soured during 2003 and he joined Real to much fanfare. Tools: David Beckham: Retirement has begun as he's not in Paris Saint-Germain squad for their season finale - Mirror Online Au revoir: Beckham destroys all those 'Leyton Orient to Lorient' headlines (Photo: Reuters) Share Get football updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email David Beckham's playing career has officially come to a close - after he was left out of Paris Saint-Germain's squad for their final game of the season away to Lorient. It was clear to most observers that the 38-year-old had kicked his last ball in anger last weekend - Beckham tearfully walked off the Parc des Princes pitch to a tremendous reception from his team-mates and the crowd when he was subbed in the new Ligue 1 champions' win over Brest. The manner of the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder's exit, coupled with the potential harm Lorient's artificial pitch could do to Beckham's surgically-repaired Achilles tendon, gave rise to talk Beckham had already played his final match. Video Loading 1975: Born Leytonstone, May 2. 1991: Joins Manchester United as trainee. 1992: Makes debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup. 1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford. 1995: Joins Preston on loan in February and scores two goals in five games.

1996: Helps United to Premier League and FA Cup double. Scores goal of the season on opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing Neil Sullivan from the halfway line. Makes his England debut in the 3-0 win in Moldova. 1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year. 1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June 26. Sent off in second-round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina. 1999: Helps United win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup after coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals. Runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Rivaldo. 2000: May - Collects fourth championship winner's medal as United win title by a record 18 points. November - Named England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor. 2001: May - Collects another Premier League title with United. October - Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into World Cup finals.

2002: June 7 - Scores from the penalty spot in the World Cup group stage match against Argentina to seal a 1-0 win. England bow out in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual winners Brazil. 2003: February - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into Beckham's face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. June 14 - Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football. June 17 - United announce they have accepted a £25million bid from Real Madrid for Beckham, who agrees personal terms. 2004: June 24 - Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon. 2005 - November: Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva. 2006: July 2 - Stands down as England captain after World Cup quarter-final exit to Portugal. August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.

2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August. January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again. May 26 - McClaren hands Beckham a shock England recall for matches against Brazil and Estonia. June - Wins the La Liga title with Madrid, having won back his place in the team. August 16 - Beckham scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick. 2008: March 26 - Wins 100th England cap in the friendly against France. October 30 - AC Milan announce Beckham will join them on loan on January 7,2009. 2009: March 9 - AC Milan announce that under a unique "timeshare" agreement Beckham will stay with them in Italy until the end of the season, return to the Galaxy from July to October and then rejoin the Serie A club for the rest of the2009-10 campaign.

March 28 - Comes on as a half-time substitute against Slovakia at Wembley towin his 109th cap and break Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player. 2010: March 14 - Tears his Achilles tendon in Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo - aninjury that rules him out of the World Cup. June - Part of England's backroom staff for World Cup campaign in South Africawhich ends in second-round defeat to Germany. August 11 - England career appears to be at an end when Capello tells ITV: "Probably he is a little bit old." 2011: November 20 - Wins the MLS Cup as the Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final. December 31 - Five-year deal at the Galaxy expires. 2012: January 19 - Re-signs with the Galaxy. November 20 - Confirms he is to leave the Galaxy after MLS Cup on December 1. December 1 - Ends his time in MLS in style by winning a second MLS Cup with a3-1 win over Houston Dynamo.

2013: January 31 - Signs a five-month contract with Paris St Germain, revealing at a press conference he will play without a salary, donating what he would have earned to a children's charity in the French capital. February 24 - Makes his PSG debut as a substitute against rivals Marseille. April 2 - Starts Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona. A brief substitute appearance in the following week's second leg was his final European game. May 12 - PSG clinch the Ligue 1 title with a 1-0 win over Lyon. Beckham becomes the first Englishman to win league titles in four different countries. May 16 - Announces his retirement from football. May 18 - Completes a final home match for PSG in tears as he signs off with a 3-1 win over Brest. Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent Can Beckham sell the U.S. on soccer? - Sports - International Herald Tribune - The New York Times The New York Times Sports |Can Beckham sell the U.S. on soccer? - Sports - International Herald Tribune Search Continue reading the main story David Beckham has never been simply a sports star.

He is a brand, and one who briefly lived at the spot where fashion, celebrity and soccer met. The soccer component of that equation has eroded, but his star power still reverberates worldwide, so much that Major League Soccer, which has struggled for 11 years to gain prominence on the American sports landscape, has lured Beckham to Los Angeles. Beckham will make the move from Real Madrid, one of the most glamorous team in Europe, and the United States' top professional soccer league will try to cash in on his celebrity appeal — and perhaps that of his wife, Victoria, the former Posh Spice of the Spice Girls pop group. The Los Angeles Galaxy announced the move Thursday, saying Beckham would make $250 million over the five years of his deal, including endorsement income; the team did not release his actual salary from the club. Beckham will join the Galaxy after his contract with Real Madrid expires June 30. For Beckham, whose time as a world- class midfielder has passed, the move may be a savvy exit strategy from the intense European soccer spotlight.

The British media, ever eager to pounce on weakness, have been particularly savage about Posh and Becks, as they are called in Britain, since his meager performance as England's captain in the World Cup last summer. Continue reading the main story Although at age 31 he is a step or more behind the world's elite players, he still has a deft right foot that serves him especially well on free kicks and crosses. That, coupled with his reputation, may be enough to capture the attention of sports fans in the United States — even if some of them know his name only from "Bend It Like Beckham," a 2002 film whose title played on his pop-icon status. Advertisement Continue reading the main story "We want people around the water cooler talking about MLS," Don Garber, the league's commissioner, said. "But David Beckham is not going to bring soccer to the next level in this country. It's going to take a lot of things, but I hope his arrival will be an important step." The move had been long rumored.

Beckham and his wife opened a soccer academy in 2005 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, next door to Los Angeles, which is also the Galaxy's home stadium. The MLS board of governors voted in November to relax salary restrictions and allow each team to sign one player for any amount. The rule became widely known as the Beckham Rule. Beckham emerged as an international sports icon in the 1990s during his time with Manchester United of England's Premier League. As long as he kicked the ball into the net with that golden right foot, his fans could forgive his excesses: the outfits that ranged from sarongs to leather suits to store- ripped designer jeans and shirts open to the waist; the smirking ads for razor blades, sunglasses and perfume; the sulking and occasional histrionics; the fancy parties and A-list friends. Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, and he and a cast of world-class teammates have failed to win a major title. He played lackadaisically for England in last year's World Cup, at one point throwing up on the field. Everything fell apart during a quarterfinal match against Portugal.

He injured his leg, limped off the field and promptly burst into tears. But Beckham remains a celebrity with a long list of endorsements who attracts publicity simply by flashing his famous smile. He can spawn tabloid headlines by changing his hairstyle. His wife commands the same treatment, and in Hollywood she may see a chance to revive her singing career. Beckham said in a statement Thursday that the move had stemmed in part from his desire to help raise the profile of soccer in the United States. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy "There are so many great sports in America," he said. "There are so many kids that play baseball, American football, basketball. But soccer is huge all around the world apart from America, so that's where I want to make a difference with the kids." The move brought back memories of the North American Soccer League of the 1970s. The Cosmos signed Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer and jolted the sport into America's consciousness for a few glory years.

But the league went bankrupt, and the sport has failed to gain anything approaching the attention it receives in most other countries. "The real growth of the other professional sports leagues came with the rise of its stars," said Derek Aframe, vice president of Octagon sports who works with soccer marketing and is a former vice president of the New England Revolution of MLS. "Who do kids playing those sports dream of being? In basketball, it was Michael Jordan and now LeBron James. Soccer has never had that. Now, kids will have Beckham." Advertisement Continue reading the main story Norm Samnick, then vice president of the company that owned the Cosmos, Warner Communications, said the problem was that all the stars played for one team. "When we signed Pelé, he was the biggest name in the world," Samnick said. "But once Pelé and the others were gone, there was nothing left. We had no other players. I'd like to think Beckham will be the answer now, but I just don't see it." Garber said MLS had learned the lessons of the NASL. He said the league had spent the past several years strengthening its franchises, with an emphasis on committed owners and new soccer stadiums.

The league has added three teams, has six new owners and four new stadiums in the past two years. "We needed a strong foundation as a sport to attract players like Beckham to play here," Garber said. Arsène Wenger, who manages Arsenal in the Premier League, which faced Beckham regularly when he played for Manchester United, said: "From a football standpoint, he's not dead. He can still play at a high level, and I think he's made a good decision." The merits of the decision, for Beckham and MLS, will be judged by a worldwide audience, starting this summer. Lynn Zinser reported from New York and Sarah Lyall from London. Joshua Robinson contributed reporting from London and Lisa Munoz from Los Angeles. A version of this article appears in print on January 12, 2007, in The International Herald Tribune. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

Question: Which American football team did David Beckham sign up to in 2007?
Answer: Los Angeles Galaxy